Comparison

MiniVault vs Hobby Codex

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

MiniVault

Manage your tabletop miniature collections, track painting progress, and monitor expenses. Document your projects with photos and access detailed statistics. This app offers offline functionality and data privacy.

Highlights
  • Organize collections by game system or project
  • Track painting status through clear stages
  • Document paints and techniques used
  • Monitor costs and spending by category
  • Create and prioritize a wishlist
  • Photo gallery for visual progress
  • Export data to PDF, Excel, or CSV
Features
Read full description

MiniVault is the collection manager every tabletop hobbyist has been waiting for. Whether it's Warhammer, Age of Sigmar, Star Wars Legion, or any other system — manage your miniatures, stay on top of costs and painting progress, and document every project with photos. ORGANIZE YOUR COLLECTIONS Create as many collections as you want, sorted by game system, faction, or project. Set point goals and track in real time how close you are to a finished army. PAINT STATUS AT A GLANCE Every mini moves through clear stages: Unbuilt → Built → Primed → In Progress → Finished. The overall progress bar shows exactly where you stand — your pile of shame doesn't stand a chance. PAINTS & TECHNIQUES, DOCUMENTED Build your own paint library with brand, type, and color code. Assign the paints and techniques you used to each mini — so months later, you'll still know exactly how you nailed that look. COSTS UNDER CONTROL Log purchase price, accessories, and shipping for every mini. The cost overview breaks down your spending by collection, month, and category — honest, but fair. WISHLIST WITH PRIORITIES Plan your next purchases by priority, estimated price, and shop link. Once an item is bought, it moves straight into your collection. PHOTO GALLERY Capture your progress visually. Add photos with notes to every mini — from primed plastic to finished display piece. STATISTICS & INSIGHTS Dashboard with overall progress, model count, and total spend. Detailed stats reveal your most-used paints, favorite techniques, and more. EXPORT & BACKUP Export your data as PDF, Excel, or CSV. Create regular backups and get reminded automatically when the last one is too long ago. 100% OFFLINE & PRIVATE Everything stays on your device. No account, no server, no ads. Your collection belongs to you. MiniVault is built by a tabletop hobbyist for tabletop hobbyists.

About

Hobby Codex

Organize your miniature painting hobby with this app. Catalog your collection, save paint recipes, manage your paint inventory, and track project progress. Designed for mobile use on your painting desk.

Highlights
  • Catalog miniatures
  • Save paint recipes
  • Manage paint inventory
  • Track project progress
  • Log painting sessions
  • Built-in paint catalog
Features
Read full description

Hobby Codex is a mobile app for miniature painters. It keeps your collection, paints, color schemes, projects, and painting journal in one place. Once boxes start piling up, notes get scattered, and you can no longer remember which paints or steps were planned, it becomes hard to keep track. Hobby Codex helps you follow a miniature from the box to the finished model. Start by scanning a box Scan its barcode, or search by name, to find its contents and add its miniatures to your collection in a few taps. No need to enter every reference one by one. The catalogue also lets you browse available factions and boxes. This feature is available with a subscription. You can also add a miniature manually, whether it comes from a box that is not in the catalogue or is a custom reference. Organize your collection Track the miniatures you own or want to buy, along with their assembly and painting progress. Add your own photos, notes, and details to keep a useful record of every model. Plan your painting - create color schemes; - break a miniature down into parts and painting steps; - keep track of the paints and techniques you use; - see which pots are missing from your inventory. Move your projects forward Group related miniatures into projects or campaigns. Track their progress and keep a clear view of what remains to be done. Keep a record of your sessions The journal records your painting sessions: time spent, miniatures worked on, calendar, and progress over time. Pick up where you left off without having to reconstruct your plans. Your collection stays on your device by default. If you create an account, you can choose to back up your data and photos to the cloud and restore them on another device. Hobby Codex is available in French and English, with no ads. Catalogue subscription Tracking features are free. Access to the box catalogue requires an account and a Hobby Codex Catalogue subscription, monthly or yearly, that renews automatically. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. The subscription renews automatically unless it is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel your subscription in your Apple Account settings. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://nicolaslabrousse.github.io/hobby-codex-legal/privacy.html

Screenshots

MiniVault4 screens
Hobby Codex4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Hobby Codex at 100% against MiniVault's 0%. Hobby Codex also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.0). MiniVault's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, ratings volume, ads and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Hobby Codex sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. MiniVault asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Hobby Codex holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 2 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of MiniVault's written reviews are positive against 100% of Hobby Codex's.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
MiniVault versus Hobby Codex: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMiniVaultHobby Codex
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.0 (1 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings12 — better
Update frequency—Every 6 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size28 MB81 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCHRISTOPH BOTTCHERLabrousse Nicolas

Customer experience

MiniVault

All ratings1 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral100.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral100.0%
Negative0.0%

Hobby Codex

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

MiniVault

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Hobby Codex

Subscriptions2
  • Box Catalog$2.991 Month
  • Box Catalog$24.991 Year

Questions

Is MiniVault free?
MiniVault is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Hobby Codex free?
Hobby Codex is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, MiniVault or Hobby Codex?
Hobby Codex is rated higher. MiniVault averages 3.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Hobby Codex averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do MiniVault or Hobby Codex have ads?
Neither MiniVault nor Hobby Codex shows ads.

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